Chapter 62- Dirty Deals
Getting back to the ship was easier than the crew had imagined it would be. It almost seemed like the Klingons were glad to be rid of them and Sylar's apparent condition served as a source of amusement as they assumed he had gotten into a fight with a child: an adult Klingon would have killed him.
The ship was still intact, as much as it was when it arrived anyway, and no further damage had been sustained according to the onboard reports. Scotty and his crew went on a frenzied rampage in an effort to at least get the ship spaceworthy enough to get them back to Federation airspace. This was a tall order in and of itself, but the still raging battle between the Klingons and the Romulans made the required spacewalks to the external components of the ship exceedingly dangerous. Scotty briefly considered conscripting Sylar for the job as the only person he knew that could figure out the mechanics and not die out there, but he decided against it. He was nothing if not stubbornly self sufficient and he was determined to get the job done on his own. Sylar hadn't always been on board and he probably wouldn't be either, so they had to work with what they had.
Spock, Uhura, and Sulu were seated on the bridge, directing work crews to malfunctions and troubleshooting for the engineering crew. Chekov was sent to sickbay for a rapid detox shot- one that McCoy would delight in giving since the kid showed poor judgment by drinking so much in the first place. He probably had just as much to drink, but he could handle his liquor and that was entirely beside the point.
Sylar went directly to his quarters and scrubbed his face clean of all the blood and make-up. When he was finished, he slowly looked up to the mirror to see his clean and perfect face, water dripping off his chin and he slowly smiled. He thought about all that had happened since he was taken from his life in New York and he had to admit that he didn't really know who he was anymore, but that didn't bother him. He was a believer in the saying that crisis and opportunity were one in the same and although the future was uncertain, he felt as though it were wide open and entirely of his making.
The rest of the evolved humans gathered in the rec room in an effort to stay out of the way until they were needed. Since their arrival on the ship, it had become an impromptu meeting space and the default waiting room. They simply didn't know where else to be.
"Well, that was fun." Nathan said half sarcastically as he took a seat on a bench next to Mohinder.
"Actually is was kind of neat to watch big, bad Sylar get his ass handed to him by a chick." Matt chuckled. "I'll bet that's something we'll never see again."
"We should have made DVD's of it. It would be an instant hit on YouTube!" Ando agreed.
"It would be a snuff film." Claire replied disdainfully. "I can't believe you guys are serious about this. I didn't see any of you volunteering to take her on. At least he had the balls to go in there knowing he couldn't use his powers."
"She's right." Noah admitted. "We all know he sucks at actual fighting."
"Then why did he do it?" Mohinder wondered aloud. "Why would he suffer such public humiliation?"
"Because he isn't who we thought he was." Peter answered darkly. "It's time we all admit that the Sylar we knew has changed."
"Or that's what he wants us to think." Nathan countered.
"For what?" Peter cried throwing his hands in the air. "What could he possibly have to gain by doing what he has? You sure as hell don't appreciate it- he isn't going to get a word of thanks from any of us. What are we going to do to him, leave him behind? We would actually be doing him a favor!"
"How are we going to get back?" Claire asked. "How do we know it's safe?" She tried not to look back accusingly at Nathan, but she couldn't help it.
"The way we came." Noah answered. "Peter can help Hiro to take us back where we belong. After they find an appropriate safe zone, of course."
"I do think we are perilously close to overstaying our welcome." Mohinder reminded.
"As soon as Captain Kirk is available, I will talk to him to see if he got what he wanted from us. If he has, then we'll go." Noah decided with a nod. "I'm not sure if given enough time we could completely figure out how your respective powers work, but that's not really what we came for in the first place." He rested his steely blue eyes on Nathan who was becoming irritated with all the sideways glances and innuendos.
"That might be awhile if he's kissing the Klingons goodbye and then he has to figure a way out of this mess with the ship broken and all." Matt mumbled.
Jim marched onto the bridge in full on commander mode. "What do we have, Spock?" He asked plopping down in his chair.
Spock noted that he looked a little agitated and he could only assume that the departing formalities with the Klingons either took longer than expected or involved some kind of further extortion in order to be allowed to leave the starbase. "Engineering has nearly restored the core thrusters and Mr. Scott assures me that a new housing component has been constructed for the warp core that should be sufficient until we reach Federation airspace." He paused and cautiously asked, "Are we cleared to exit?"
Jim chewed his lip and glanced sideways at his first officer with something approaching anger, although Spock didn't take it personally. "Yes." He finally answered. It was a satisfactory answer to his query, so he returned to his station, but Spock knew that there was much more to that story. It just wasn't wise to ask for details at that moment. "Is everyone aboard?"
"Yes, Captain." Sulu answered checking his flight controls. "Uhura's paint job fooled everyone. At least I don't think Matt or Peter had to persuade anyone."
"Sorry I am late, Captain!" Chekov shouted as he ran to his station out of breath. "I just heard ve vere leaving." He was perky and fully sober to Spock's relief.
"We'll discuss this later, Ensign." Jim replied. "Set a course for Federation airspace. Sulu, confirm the speed with engineering. I don't want to tear apart everything they patched together."
"Aye, Sir." Sulu said glancing warily at Chekov. He hadn't quite observed his Captain in such a strange mood before. If Chekov was in trouble, he wondered if he too was on the hook as the one technically in charge. If Chekov drank too much it was ultimately his fault and he could see months of bathroom sanitary duty in his future.
"Spock," Jim ground out, "may I speak with you?" He noted the tense looks on the faces of his crew and he added, "In private?"
"Of course, Captain." Spock replied standing at attention.
Jim led them to the nearby conference room and paced as Spock watched with his usual noncommittal expression. After what seemed an eternity, he finally spoke. "We are screwed, Spock."
"How so, Captain?" He asked dispassionately. Now was not the time to remind him that the current situation was nothing like passionate intercourse.
"The Romulan that the Klingons had- the scientist we found on the ship? He's out there and he's trying to cut a deal with the Klingons." He replied pointing his finger in some indiscriminate direction to illustrate his point. "He is telling the Klingons he will give them the information they wanted on some weapon he was working on if they turn us over."
"And aside from general hatred of the Romulans, there is nothing to prohibit them from doing so." Spock reasoned.
"Exactly. On top of that, the scientist- Mendak- assured me safe passage if we give up Peter and Sylar. You and I both know that although the Romulans are barbarians, they are generally good on their word."
"So you are contemplating exchanging the lives of two for the many that reside on the ship." He confirmed. "It is a logical course of action."
"But I can't!" Jim sighed. "I can't just hand them over. They aren't mine to give and we can't keep using them like pawns. No, we have to end this once and for all."
"What did you have in mind?"
"We are leaving. If the Romulans attack, we will defend ourselves with everything we've got. Alert any nearby starships that we are in need of assistance. If we can't beat them, we'll outrun them."
"And if the Klingons aid in out capture?" He prodded.
"They won't." Jim assured. "It cost me everything I had, but I bought their assurance that they won't chase us. They won't help us, but they won't interfere either."
"Bribery. The only thing the Klingons hold in higher esteem than honor." Spock observed wryly.
Mendak was quite pleased with himself. He sat back in his chair with a self-satisfied smirk and pondered whether or not his own diplomatic skills eclipsed that of his traitor father's. He had the Klingons eating out of his hand with the dangling promise of revealing his work on the very bombs he carried onboard- the very ones he would wipe out the Enterprise with. He had no intention of actually following through, he just wanted the Klingons to stop interfering with his plans and the only way to do so was to appeal to their greed and fear and it looked like his plan would work. They swallowed his implications hook line and sinker.
He no more planned on honoring his agreement with Starfleet than he did with the Klingons. He knew enough about the young Captain Kirk to know that he would never willingly hand over the demigods and truthfully, even if he did there was no realistic way he could hold and control them on the ship until he returned to Romulus. The only rational conclusion was to destroy them all. If he couldn't have them, no one would. In some skewed way he would probably be a bigger hero in the eyes of his people with the current turn of events than he was before he left. Yes, he would certainly die in the effort, but sacrifices had to be made.
He checked the screen of his ship and counted the number of remaining vessels at his disposal. The Klingons were impressively accurate with their weapons and he had sustained heavy losses to his fleet. No matter, he really only needed a small unit to delay the Klingons should they double cross him while he drew a bead on the Enterprise. If all went well, they would leave the safety and protection of the starbase and he would silently stalk them until the opportunity presented itself.
"Sir, the ship is leaving the dock." His navigator alerted.
Mendak watched the battered hull of the Enterprise limp away like a wounded animal and he had to resist the urge to destroy them right then and there. "Very well," he smiled, "cloak and follow them."